West Africa and Opening of Apapa Factory

British Bata Shoes executives travel West Africa and attend the opening of a Nigerian factory.

Shot by John Tusa, whose father was managing director of the British arm of the Bata Shoes company, this film records a trip undertaken by John Tusa Senior and an associate to assess the company's West African operations and attend the opening of a new factory in Apapa, Nigeria. From an African airport, the pair charter a light aircraft to a small airstrip. Driving through villages and jungle, the pair meet local residents and visit rubber plantations and a Bata Rubber Station in a large town. Traveling through the outskirts of Lagos, they pass factories and chemical plants, before arriving at the newly established Bata factory. The opening of the factory is attended by Nigerian Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and other dignitaries, who hear a round of speeches before touring the factory. Here, Tusa shows much of the production process for shoes including plimsolls and jelly shoes, from machine rooms, production lines and mouldings, to quality control and packaging. Leaving the factory, the executives visit Bata Shoes outlets in cities and rural areas, and visit urban districts of Nigeria which are rapidly developing in anticipation of the country's imminent independence from Britain. Leaving Nigeria, they head to the Ghanian capital of Accra, where they visit further Bata outlets and explore the city's large commercial district. From there, a combination of charter planes and cars take them on a tour of other outlets and suppliers across West Africa.

Featured Buildings

Ambassador Hotel, Accra

Keywords

Manufacturing; Industry; Shoes; Rubber; Colonialism; Post-Colonialism; Overseas; Plimsolls; Jelly shoes; Sandals

Other Places

Apapa, Nigeria; Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; West Africa

Background Information

John Tusa was named after his father, who was the managing director of Bata Shoes' British arm. John Tusa went on to work for the BBC, presenting Newsnight and 24 Hours and later serving as managing director of the World Service. He has also been heavily involved in the arts, serving as managing director of the Barbican Arts Centre and chairman of the board at the Wigmore Hall, amongst other roles. [SOURCE: Wikipedia].